In the sewing and embroidery industry, fabric holding clamps are widely used for holding individual work pieces during the embroidery process. While such holding clamps are been used for many years, problems have persisted in securely holding relatively thick items, such as athletic jackets, during the embroidery process. In particular, contemporary embroidery clamps have been unable to consistently hold the fabric in a stretched taut condition during the embroidery process. As a result, it has been exceedingly difficult to sew through thick fabrics with accuracy.